Category: Ethiopia

US Orders Non-Emergency Government Employees in Ethiopia to Leave

NAIROBI—The United States has ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees in Ethiopia to leave because of armed conflict, civil unrest and violence, its embassy in Addis Ababa said on Saturday. Denmark and Italy also asked their citizens in Ethiopia to leave while commercial flights were still available, as rebellious Tigrayan forces and their allies have advanced…


Facebook Whistleblower Accuses Platform of ‘Fanning Ethnic Violence’ in Myanmar and Ethiopia

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen during Tuesday’s Senate hearing cited ethnic violence in Myanmar and Ethiopia as examples of the “destructive impact” that the social media platform has had on society. The former Facebook employee suggested before lawmakers that there is a link between Facebook activity and the violence in the regions. The social media platform’s…


US Envoy to Visit Ethiopia to Try to Halt Fighting

NAIROBI—U.S. President Joe Biden is sending his special envoy for the Horn of Africa to Ethiopia amid international alarm at the escalation of a war that has killed thousands and created a humanitarian crisis in one of the world’s poorest regions. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, announcing the trip by envoy Jeffrey Feltman,…


Ethiopian PM Urges ‘Eligible Citizens’ to Join Army and Fight Tigray Forces

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has urged eligible citizens on Tuesday to join the military and end its conflict with rebels in the Tigray region “once and for all.” “Now is the right time for all capable Ethiopians who are of age to join the Defence Forces, Special Forces and militias to show your patriotism,”…


Ethiopia’s Somali Region Says Town Attacked, Amid New Local Flare Ups

ADDIS ABABA—The local government in Ethiopia’s Somali region said on Tuesday militia from the neighbouring region of Afar had attacked and looted a town, the latest flare-up in a local boundary dispute that adds to broader tensions in the Horn of Africa nation. Ali Bedel, spokesperson for the Somali region government, said Afar militia “massacred…


Ethiopia’s Tigray Forces Say They Released 1,000 Captured Soldiers

OLBIA, Italy—Forces in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have released around 1,000 government soldiers captured during recent fighting, the head of its ruling party said, as both sides prepared for a showdown over contested land in the west of the region. Debretsion Gebremichael, leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), told Reuters by satellite phone…


Forces From Ethiopia’s Tigray Region Say They Are Pushing South

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia—Forces from Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray said on July 12 they were pushing south and had recaptured a town from government forces, underscoring their determination to keep fighting until the region’s pre-war borders are restored. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claim because communication links to the region are down. Conflict…


Medical Official: Air Strike Kills at Least 43 in Ethiopia’s Tigray

ADDIS ABABA—An air strike killed at least 43 people in the town of Togoga in Ethiopia’s Tigray region on Tuesday, a medical official told Reuters, after residents said new fighting had flared in recent days north of the regional capital Mekelle. Ethiopian military spokesman Colonel Getnet Adane did not confirm or deny the incident. He…


China Expands Influence in Africa By Building Government Facilities, West Starting to Counter

In mid-May, China invested $35 million in Kenya to build a new foreign ministry building. It’s the latest in a series of investments and grants given by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to African countries, which allows the regime to expand its political and economic influence in the continent. China’s investment offers, mainly through its Belt…


Canada Joins G7 in Condemning Ethiopia Violence, Calling for Humanitarian Aid

OTTAWA—Canada and other G7 nations are denouncing what they describe as human rights violations and calling for immediate access for humanitarian aid groups in Ethiopia’s conflict−ridden Tigray region. Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau and his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States say in a joint statement they are…